Guidelines Material Safety Data Sheets

Although there is much controversy over using animals in tests such as these, the information is an essential part of the legal testing required when new chemicals are introduced onto the market in significant quantities. These and other toxicity test results are used to help develop Material Safety Data Sheets, establish Occupational Exposure Limits and guidelines for use of appropriate safety equipment. 

One of the best ways to determine that potential is to examine the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), which by law in most jurisdictions must be provided by the manufacturer for any hazardous material used in the workplace and made available to the employees by plant management. The MSDS provides all the information necessary to determine the hazard potential and the requirements for control of any hazardous substance. Still other information can be found in the various guidelines published by the American Industrial Health Association, or by the U.S. National Safety Council, or by NIOSH (the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) or various other national, state, or provincial government bodies. (See Appendix II for information on sources.) Once you have an inventory, of course, you can start relating potential health problems to possible sources in particular areas. Also, in the process of preparing this report, you will begin to build an invaluable library that will stand you in good stead for further consideration of the problems at hand. 

It is essential to understand the hazards of chemical products so that they can be used safely. Important sources of information for aromatherapists include guidelines from bodies such as RIFM (Research Institute for Fragrance Materials), IFRA (International Fragrance Association), product labels and MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets). 

You can also find specific guidelines for the safe storage, use, and disposal of thousands of types of chemical products in the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). Start with http //www.ilpi.com/msds/Mntcrnct. This site links to dozens of free searchable databases, including those of top American and European universities. 

Proper precautions and safety measures recommended in the hydrogen MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) should be followed as well as other ruling jurisdiction safety rules and guidelines when handling hydrogen. Please follow this link to MSDS recommendations on the internet, and study the MSDS carefully ... 

The Standards Advisory Committee on Hazardous Materials Labeling was established under section 7(b) of the OSHA Act to develop guidelines for the implementation of section 6(b)(7) of the Act with respect to heizardous materials. On June 6,1975, the Committee submitted its final report which identified issues and recommended guidelines for categorizing and ranking chemical heizards. Labels, material safety data sheets (MSDS), and training programs were also prescribed. 

In addition, the safety director and the nurse analyzed the actual jobs being performed for potential ergonomic problems. OSHA s ergonomic guidelines helped them identify those positions that involved specific activities associated with the development of CTDs. Furthermore, they reviewed all of the material safety data sheets (MSDSs) for all the chemicals used for cooling and sanitation at the plant. 

The materials are safe to use if the manufacturer s guidelines are followed. See Material Safety Data Sheets for details. 

Before using any mixture, read the cylinder label to determine that the cylinder contains the gas mixture desired. Also, read the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) on the mixture or mixture components, and become thoroughly familiar with the properties of the mixture before using it. Refer to the Methods of Manufacture section for additional information on mixture properties and to Chapter 5 for general safety guidelines. 

General precautions for handling all laboratory chemicals previously outlined in this manual should be adopted, along with specific guidelines for particular chemicals. Exposure to hazardous chemicals should be minimized. For work with substances that present special hazards, special precautions shall be taken. One should assume that any mixture will be more hazardous than its most hazardous component and that all substances of unknown hazard are hazardous. Refer to the material safety data sheet (MSDS) for specific information about a chemical or product containing hazardous chemicals. 

For a particular toxic material the concentration and period of exposure (dosage) determine the hazard level. Data on hazards in some cases can be found in many documents, such as the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) published by the manufacturer of the particular materials, in National Institute Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) publication NIOSH Pocket Guide to Hazardous Chemicals (DHHS, 1990), or Emergency Response Planning Guidelines for Air Contaminants (ERPGs) issued by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (1992). 

Before the application is conducted, the available guidelines of the utilized adhesives as well as technical and material safety data sheets have to be studied by all persons that are involved in the production process. Furthermore, the executive personnel have to he instructed and trained regarding the handling and application of adhesives. This can he carried out hy further internal education supervised by the adhesive manufacturer, accordingly. Another sufficient tool to assure a constant high quality of the accomplished operations is the formulation of detailed documented procedures and instruction manuals. 

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